L Train riders who live near Avenue A were greeted this morning with a new entrance to the First Avenue station, that will (hopefully) ease commuter congestion.
The new entrance to the 1 Av Station’s 8 Av-bound platform is located on the northwest corner of Avenue A and 14th St. This is the second new L-train entrance in the area; the first was the Brooklyn-bound platform that opened this past November.
Besides just providing an additional entrance, which is needed since L-train ridership overall has increased by 60% since 2000, it will also allow the MTA to finish renovating the original entrances.
So, the existing First Avenue north entrance will close for reconstruction this Saturday, Feb. 15.
As detailed in an MTA press release, the work on the 1 Av station includes:
- Two new street entrances, each 7½ feet wide
- New fare control area, adding 600 square feet to the station
- Rebuilt infrastructure of the original entrances on First Avenue
- New wall tile, energy-efficient lighting, and new turnstiles
- New substation near Avenue B to power more trains along the whole L line, one of three for the project
The project also features the construction of two new ADA elevators, one on either side of 14th Street near Avenue A, which should open this summer (ahead of schedule).
If you need more clarification of which entrances will be available at what times, see their suggestions here:
- Weekdays: For 8 Av-bound travel, use the entrance on the north side of Avenue A and 14th
- Weekdays: For Brooklyn-bound travel, use the entrance on the south side of Avenue A and 14th
- Weekends and weeknights after approximately 9:45 p.m.: Use the Avenue A north entrance for trains in both directions.
featured image source: Courtesy MTA